Prepayment mechanism.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908.

J. GR'IBBEL. PREPAYMENT MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 28, 1907.

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WITNESSES: 1 w

m i f JOHN GRIBBEL, or WYNCOTE, PENNSYLVANIA.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Y .i x Application filed February 28, 1907. Serial No. 359,745. v

Patented June as, 1908.

To all whom 'it may concern.

' Be it known that I, JOHN GRIBBEL, of Wyncote, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Prepayment Mechanism, whereof the fol.- lowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s.

My improvement is particu arly applicable to coiiY controlled gasometers of the class described in Letters Patent of the United States #688,466, granted to me December 10, 1901; wherein a rotary coin carrier'pro. vided with a slotjadapted to register with a coin inlet slot in 'a casing inclosing it, may be 5 operatively connected, by a coin, with meter mechanism, so that the latter may be manually set in position to deliver a predetermined quantlty of gas by turning an exterior han,dleattached to said carrier. It was found in practice that the users of such as-.-

ometers attempted to fraudulently mampulate the same in two ways, viz., first, by returning the rotary coin carrier to initial position to present a normal coin for removal 4 through the coin inlet slot, after'it-has been used to set the meter. mechanism, and, second, to employga minor coin, to "set the meter mechanism; such a coin. being caught before it falls through the slot in. the carrier, by a quick rotary movement of the latter.

It is the object of my invention to provide simple and efldcient means to notionl' prevent reverse movement of a 'norii fa ffcoin which has loeen employed to-set themeter mechanism, but to a so prevent ,a minor coin from bein used to operate the mechanism. In the form of my invention hereinafter described, a rotary'coin carrier is provided with a casing comprfising an interior recess 40 forming a ledge in 'stsitionary relation with.

said casing, extending parallel with the axis of rotation of the carrier, whereby a normal coin rotated by the carrier is engaged topre vent its reverse movement, and aminor coin dropped into saidlcarrier is engagedto prevent its forwardiiiovement in cooperation with the meter mechanism. y

My invention-comprises the various novel features, of construction and arrangement hereinaftermore definitely specified.

In the drawings; Figure I, is a front elevation of a mechanism embodyin 'myimprovement. Fig. II, is a-vertica sectional view of said mechanism taken on the line II, II, in Fig. I. Fig. III, is a vertical sectional view of said mechanism taken on the 25, comprises a conical projection extending the meter mechamsm, a normal com being engaged by a stationary ledge in the casin to prevent its reverse movement. Fig.

is a plan view of the coin carrier and parts I connected therewith. 5

In said figures, 1 is the casing com rising the plate 2 rovided with the hooke lug 3,

and bolt ho es 4 whereby it may be secured to the, meter 5 over a receptacle 6, for coins introduced through said casing.- Said casing 7' 1 comprises the coin inlet slot 7, in its upper wall, and-the coin discharge slot 8 in its lower wall, the latter being in registry with the 7 coin receptacle 6, aforesaid. Said casing 1- incloses the rotary coin carrier 10, havmg the shaft 11, at its outer end in unitary relation therewith, extending through the bearing 12, in said casing, and provided ex- 'teri'or theretofwith the operating handle 14,

rigidly secured thereon by the pin 15. As shown infull lines in Fig. V, and in dotted lines in Fig. I, said handle 14 is provided with the lug 17, arranged to limit the rotary movement of said carrier by encountering the ledges 18 and 19 on said casing. Said carrier 10, is provided at its inner end with .the shaft 22, in unitary relation therewith,

comprising the coin slot 23 and the trunnion 25, axial alinement with said shaft and said slot. As shown in Fig. II, said trunnion beyond said shaft 22, and, an inclined face extending within the slot 23, for engagement with a normal coin 27, when said carrier is resented in the position shown in Figs. II, III, and V, with the inclined end wall 28 at the upper portion thereof. Said carrier 10,'is provided with the driving gear 30, which is ngidly connected therewith, and in mesh with the driven gear 31, on the rotary out ofl bar 32. Said bar is provided with the-slot 34, which in the initial osition of the mechanism is presented in a ement with the slot 7 in the casing 1, and'with the slot 23, in the carrier 10, as shown in Figs. II,' and III. Said cut off bar 32, is mounted to rotate in the bearing 35, in the casing 1, and in the bearing 36 in the plate 38,, and the rela tion of the gear wheels 30, and 31, is such that the slot 34 in said bar is not resented 110 in alinement with the slot 'Z, i'n*t e casin except when the slot 23is also, presente A the coin.

in alinement therewith; the eflect of such' 1 the latter isturned from its initial position.

As shown in Figs. IV, andV, said carrier 10 is also provided with the semi-cylindrical shield39, which closes the upper. ortion of bar 32,

the casing 1, beneath the cut 0 when the coin carrier is turned to set the meter mechanism as shown in Fig. IV, and thus prevents access through the slot 7, to

Said plate 38 comprises the bearing 40, for the shaft 41,. having the disk 42, provided with the projecting pin 43, whereby said shaft may be rotated when a normalcoin 27 is deposited in the slot 23*in the position shown in Fig. II, so that it encounters said pin 43, when the carrier is turned in the direction of the arrows marked on Figs. I and IV. Saiddisk 42, has the central conical bearing for the trunnion 25, and is revented from accidental rotary movement by the fiat spring 47 which. encircles said shaft 41, and bears against the plate 38,, as shown in Fig. II. Sa1d shaft .41 carries the gear wheel 50, which is retained on the squared portion 51, thereof, by the nut 52, on the end of said shaft. The loose Washer 54 is interposed between said wheel and the contiguous face of the late 38. It is to be understood that said w eel 50, is operatively connected with the meter mechanism, to set the latter in position to deliver a predetermined quantity of gas, in accordance with the rotary movement of said shaft 41, in the direction of. the arrows marked on Figs. I and IV such rotary'movement being manually effected in successive half revolutions,

means of normal coins 27 which are received through the slot 7, into the slot 23, of I the, carrier 10, and turned by the latter against the pin 43,, until the coin registers with the discharge slot 7, and falls therethrou h into the coin receptacle 6. I

Be erring toFig. IV; it may be observed that when a normal coin 27 is turned to set the meter mechanism by rotation of the shaft .41, saidcoin slips through the slot 23, into the recess 55, in the casing 1, so that the abutment 56, which extends parallel with the axis of rotation'of the carrier 10, at the upper edge of said recess is directly encountered by said coin upon any attempt .to reversely turn the'car'rier, and consequently said stationary abutment 56,

of a normal coin as. above described. Moreover, if a minor coin is dropped into the "slot of the arrow to encounter the pin 43, and set the metermechanism. ,It may be observed 4 revents reverse movementof the com carrier and theft that said abutment57 is in alinement with the top of the slot 8, so that a minor coin is arrilasted in position to fall .into the coin receptac e. It is to be'understood that I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement above described,

as it is obvious that various modifications may be made ,therein .without departing from the essential features of invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim; v,

1. J1 repayment mechanism for a vendmg mac ine, com rising a casing havin a com inlet slot an a coin discharge out et slot; a rotary coin carrier in said casing between said inlet and outlet, havin a coin slot extending entirely throughsai carrier adapted to register with said coin inlet and be out of alinement with said outlet when thus registered; ahandle outside of said casing operatively connected with said carrier;

means limiting the axial extent of the slot in said carrier, arranged to prevent a normal coin from falling through said carrier and to permit a minor coin to fall through said-carrier into contact with-said casing; meansin said caslng arranged" to engage a mmor com .in said carrier and prevent forward rotary movement of sa d carr er in cooperationwit the vending mechanism until said coin is discharged from said carrier; and, means in said casing arrangedto engage a normal coin in said carrierand prevent reverse rotary movement of said carrier, after a definite ran e of movement, until'said coinis dischar ed om said carrier, substantially as set fort 2. A repaymentm'echanism'for a vending. machine, com rising a casing having a 00111 inlet slot an a coin, discharge outlet slot; aro'tary coin carrier (in said casing be-' .tween said inlet and outlet, havin a coin slot extending entirely throu h. sai carrier adapted to register .w1th sai coin inlet; a

handle outside of said casing, operatively connected with said carrier; means limiting the axial extent of the slot in said carrier arranged to prevent anormal coin from falling through said carrier and to ermit a'minor coin to fall through said carrier into contact with said casing; means in said casing arranged to engage a minor coin in said carrier and prevent forward rotary movement of said carrier in cooperation-with the vending mechanism until said com 1s d scharged from sald carrier; and, means in said casmg arranged to. engage a normal coin in said carrier I and prevent reverse rotary movement of said carrier, after a definite range of movement, until sald coin is discharged from said car rier, substantially as set forth.

3. A prepayment mechanism for a vending machine, comprising acasing havin a coin inlet slot and a com discharge out et slot; a rotary com carrier" in said casing between said inlet and outlet, havin a coin lng, operatively connected with said carrier means limiting the axial extent of the slot in said carrier, arranged to prevent a normal coin from falling through said carrier and to permit aminor coin to fall through said carrier into contact with said casing; and,

means in said casing arranged to engage a minor coin in said carrier and prevent forward rotary movement of said carrier in 00- Operationwith the vending mechanism until said coin is discharged from said carrier, substantially as set forth.

4. A prepayment mechanism for a vending machine, comprising a rotary coin carrier having a coin s 0t extending entirely through it arallel with its axis; a casing inclosin sai carrier,'having a coin inlet slot adapted to register with said coin slot in the carrier, and a coin discharge outlet slot arranged to register with the coin slot in said carrier, but said outlet slot being so arranged that the carrier slot cannot simultaneously register with both the inlet and outlet slots; means limiting the axial extent of the slot in said carrier;

arranged to prevent a normal coin from falling through said carrier and to permit a minor coin to fall through said carrier into contact with said casing; and, means in said casing arranged to engage a minor coin in said carrier and prevent forward rotary movement. of said carrier in cooperatlon with the vendin mechanism until said coin is discharge from said carrier, substantially as set forth.

5. A prepayment mechanism for a vending machine, comprising a rotary coin carrierhaving a coin s ot extending entirely through it parallel with its axis; .acasing inclosin said carrier, having a coin inlet slot ada'pte to register with said coin slot in the carrier, and a coin discharge outlet slot arranged to register with the coin slot in said carrier, but said slots being so arran ed that the carrier slot cannot simultaneous y register with both 'fthe inlet and outlet slots, substantially asset ort In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Wyncote, Pennsylvania, this twentieth day of February 1907.

JOHN GRIBBEL. Witnesses:

S. E. SIMMONDS, A. NORDEMAN. 

